In Sermons:

The Baptism Of Jesus

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jan 10, 2026

1. A public declaration that Jesus is dedicating his life to following God 2. It was the announcement of then beginning of Jesus public three and a half year earthly ministry 3.It is an example for us to follow to commit ourselves to do God’s will in our lives.

SW 11-01-2026 This morning’s Gospel reading is all about the Baptism of Jesus. This is one of the events that all three of the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) describe and so was obviously an event that the Early Church saw as of great importance. St. Mark’s Gospel gives us the ...read more

Scripture: Matthew 3:13-17, Genesis 15:2

Denomination: Anglican

The Logos Of God

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Jan 1, 2026

The Son of God - the Logos of God became human over 2000 years ago in Bethlehem to show us the way to salvation

Carlby 04-01-2026 The Christmas Story A Scottish farmer did not believe in the Christmas story. The idea that God would become a man was absurd to him. His ...read more

Scripture: John 1:1-18

Denomination: Anglican

Light Of The World

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Dec 23, 2025

Jesus is the Light of the World

Carlby-Swayfield 24-12-2025 Whoever Receives the Son Gets It All Story: At the turn of 20th Century, there was a very wealthy man who, with his devoted young son, shared a ...read more

Scripture: Revelation 3:20

Denomination: Anglican

Psalm 46

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Nov 22, 2025

Psalm 46 was not written by a scholar in an ivory tower but forged from the heat of battle

The background to biblical stories often gives us insights into the Biblical passage itself. In 701 BC, Assyria was the superpower of its day in the region and Sennacherib went up against Jerusalem to destroy Judah. Jerusalem is a city built on a hill and looks difficult to capture but it had one ...read more

Denomination: Anglican

The Story Of Zacchaeus

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 11, 2025

Jesus recognised Zacchaeus's repentance as being true by what Zacchaeus did

The story of Zacchaeus Story: On 12th February 1809, a baby boy was born in a one room log cabin - with a dirt floor -on a farm near Hodgenville, Kentucky. And when he was only 9 years-old, his mother died. He was a boy with rugged determination. And although he only had less than a year of ...read more

Scripture: Luke 19:1-10

Denomination: Anglican

The Parable Of The Pharisee And The Tax Collector

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 11, 2025

In the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector why did the Tax Collector and not the Pharisee go home justified

Story: Leonardo da Vinci took seven years to paint his famous picture the "Last Supper". He used living people to depict the figures representing the Twelve Apostles and Christ. He started the fresco with Jesus Christ himself. It is reputed that he viewed hundreds and hundreds of men ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:9-14

Denomination: Anglican

Persistent Prayer

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 11, 2025

Richard Foster has written a book on prayer with 21 different types of prayer. But I won't preach on all of them this Sunday

Luke 18:1-8 – Persistence in Prayer Father, we pray this morning that you will reveal more about the nature of prayer to us. We ask this in Jesus’ Name Amen. Story: A friend of mine, Alun Morris once told a story of a very irreligious man, who he knew in Switzerland. One Sunday he met him ...read more

Scripture: Luke 18:1-8

Denomination: Anglican

Jesus Heals The 10 Lepers

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 11, 2025

Our Gospel reading today speaks of 1. The importance of thanking God for his goodness but it also tells us of 2. The importance of bringing our problems to Jesus and 3. The importance of doing what Jesus tells us

The Story of the Ten Lepers Story: One day Bill Morris went out hunting in the woods just outside Prince George in British Columbia, Canada. It had been a slow day and he hadn’t found any game to shoot. Suddenly, he heard a noise behind him. He whirled around and saw two ferocious looking ...read more

Scripture: Luke 17:11-19

Denomination: Anglican

Take Up Your Cross

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 11, 2025

Jim Eliot, once famously wrote in his diary on 28th October 1949: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep, to gain that which he cannot lose” . And Jesus says something similar in this morning's Gospel reading

Lk 14:25-33 Take up your cross and follow me Jim Eliot, an American missionary who was killed on 8th January 1956 taking the Gospel to the Waodani people in Ecuador - once famously wrote in his diary on 28th October 1949: “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep To gain that which he ...read more

Scripture: Luke 14:25-33

Denomination: Anglican

God Is Our Refuge And Strength, A Very Present Help In Trouble

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 11, 2025

Reflections on Dobbie of Malta, a Christian general under fire for Remembrance Sunday

Remembrance Sunday God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble (Ps 46:1) Committed Christians over the centuries have paid an important role in our armed forces. They have prayed for their country and they have been leaders in the forefront of battle. One such Christian ...read more

Scripture: John 15:7-17

Denomination: Anglican

What Counts In Your Life

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 9, 2025

Jesus tells us that we should strive to enter by the narrow gate in answer to the question Lord are there few who are saved?

I would like to focus on one verse today 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. I wonder what counts most in our lives? Story: The son of a wealthy man expected to receive a sports car for his graduation. Instead his Dad ...read more

Scripture: Luke 13:22-30

Denomination: Anglican

Our Place In God's House The Church

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 9, 2025

God has called each one of us to have a role in the church and he calls us to carry it out lovingly

How does serving God become a part of our salvation story? Before you accuse me of being a heretic, I believe that salvation has all been completed once for all upon the Cross And there is nothing for us to do other than we receive Jesus’ gift of salvation. It is a once for all gift we receive ...read more

Scripture: Luke 12:35-48

Denomination: Anglican

Jesus Hates Hypocrisy

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 9, 2025

Jesus took a very firm line in today's Gospel reading about how we shopuld walk the talk

Jesus hates Hypocrisy Our Gospel reading today shows clearly that Jesus hadn’t read Dale Carnegie’s book How to win friends and influence people Because the way Jesus spoke to the Scribes and Pharisees in this passage was tough and he wasn’t out to make friends that day The setting is a meal. ...read more

Scripture: Luke 11:37-46

Denomination: Anglican

The Three Harvests Of The Jewish Year

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Oct 3, 2025

There were three Harvest Festivals in the Jewish Year. Passover, Pentecost and the Feats of Tabernacles

Harvest Festival – Swayfield 2025 The reason we celebrate Harvest Festival is because it is a day when we remember and give thanks to God for all He has given us. And as a result of God’s blessings, St. Paul urges us, to be generous to others. Look at what Paul says: 7Each man should give ...read more

Scripture: Acts 2:1-41

Denomination: Anglican

The Prodigal Son

Contributed by Revd. Martin Dale on Sep 10, 2025

There are at least three shocks to the 1st century Jews who heard the Parable. 1. That the Father gave the son his inheritance before his death; 2.That the Father ran to embrace the wayward son and 3. The Father simply forgave the Son

Story: I have to tell you that, in continental Europe, the Swiss are known as being as parsimonious. In fact they make the Scots look generous - apologies to any Scots listening. At the turn of the 19th Century, the roof of the a little Swiss church was in serious need of repair. So the ...read more

Scripture: Luke 15:1-32, John 8:12

Denomination: Anglican